PHU claims IGP nomination illegal

By Chamodi Gunawardana

The Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) yesterday condemned the move by the Constitution Council (CC) to nominate Senior DIG Pujith Jayasundara as the 34th Inspector General of Police (IGP) and claimed it was a violation of the Constitution.

Highlighting the Constitution’s article no 41c.1 PHU Leader and MP Udaya Gammanpila claimed Jayasundara’s nomination was illegal.

“The Constitution says the President should recommend one name for a vacant position of such commission and the CC’s duty was to approve or reject the nomination of the President,” he noted. 

“However DIG Jayasundara was nominated by the CC from among three senior Police officers recommended by the President and the nomination was referred to the President for approval. That process was totally illegal,” he charged. 

Slamming the appointment further, Gammanpila claimed DIG Jayasundara was nominated by the CC even though DIG S.M. Wickramasinghe was among the nominees, who was senior to Jayasundara.

“If this Government really respects seniority as it pretends, DIG Wickramasinghe should be the next IGP,” he said. 

Gammanpila also alleged the Government made the same mistake when it was appointing Senior Additional Solicitor General Jayantha Jayasuriya as the Attorney General instead of Solicitor General and Acting Attorney General Suhada Gamlath, who was senior to Jayasuriya. 

“The CC should immediately reveal reasons to the Parliament as well as the public to justify why it nominated DIG Jayasundara,” he said.